Even if you have matched the perfect, most effective beauty products with your skin type, you’re counteracting the benefits of them if you’re consuming foods that are bad for your skin. You’ve been told specific items are bad for your skin like fatty and greasy foods, but cutting out just the obvious offenders won’t always do the trick. It’s important to know why these taboo foods are hurting your skin, so you can spot out other foods that may cause the same damage. Here are a few to be aware of:

Being overweight can stress you out. The cruel irony is that being stressed can make you fat. And the last thing you need when you already feel like your work, your relationship—anything—is falling apart, is to also feel you’ve lost control over your weight. While the best thing to do is beat the unwanted pounds at the source—namely, the thing that is causing you stress—being aware of how stress causes you to gain weight might also help in the battle to burn those emotional calories. If you can recognize that you are not actually hungry, but just stressed, that might keep you from reaching for any unnecessary foods.

The thighs can be a tricky area for women, especially when it comes to buying new jeans! I hate it when I know my waste is small enough, my butt fits just fine, but my thighs are the one thing getting in the way between me and a new pair of pants. Not to mention bikini season. You can wear a one-piece bathing suit to cover up your stomach, and a full-bottomed bikini to cover up a jiggly behind, but I have yet to see a bathing suit that covers up the thighs… For slimmer thighs, try these foods:

One slice of pizza, large orange soda, extra ranch dressing, and a hot fudge brownie. Now, just add a diet pill, and it’s like it never happened, right? Unfortunately, this is the mentality of many dieters out there. The trouble with diet pills is that they are not meant to be taken for a suspended period of time, so unless you’re building healthy, slimming habits on the side, then once you drop the diet pill, you’ll notice an increase in your backside. The scarier thing is all of the recalls on diet products due to unexpected side effects—some fatal. Ok, so have I scared you away from the short cut way to dieting yet? Good. Because I have another solution waiting for you here: Studies have found that these foods help curb cravings, fight certain food addictions, boost metabolism and burn fat. And you actually get to chew and savor these slimming sensations.

Have you ever heard the myth that when you’re starving, your body feeds on itself! It’s not entirely a myth. Simple Carbohydrates deplete the body of essential vitamins and minerals. Since simple carbs contain zero vitamins and minerals, your body can actually take them out of its own tissues. Be sure your carbs are full of nutrients, so your body doesn’t feed on itself!:

So who am I? I’m Laurel House - your QuickieChick, and I’m a real 34-year old chick. Yes, we all know what a “quickie” is, but this is more than that; it’s a lifestyle. Just as “quickies” are fun, exciting, sometimes unconventional, efficient, sexy, in the moment, and always (or almost always) instantly gratifying… so are LifeQuickies.

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From the Lifestyle Expert

LAUREL HOUSE

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She's the kind of gal girls want to swap secrets with and guys want to swap spit with. In short - she's one of the fabulous women people are lucky to cross paths with. Period. She's positive and inspiring and leaves an indelible message that no matter how chaotic life gets, you can always squeeze in some time for yourself.